POLITICAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXIX, Issue 134, 29 July 1911, Page 7

POLITICAL.

ELECTORAL BOHR I)ARIES. THE QUOTA FIXED. Olio of the most discussed by members of Parliament, now they are reassembling, is that of electoral boundaries, says the ‘CV.Z. Times.” Southern members do not appear to be so anxious about the geography of their seats !as tliey were mst session, when big changes, including the disappearance of at least two South Island constituencies, loomed over them, prompting suggestions that the law ought to he changed so as to give more stability to the position. it has leaked out chat the quota —The number of electors, who will bo grouped to form a constituency—has, been fixed by the Representation Commissioners at : 15,161, and that tlio .North Island -will gain one scat, instead of the expected brace. NEW AUCKLAND ELECTORATE. '.the new; seat will be somewhere in the neighbourhood of Auckland', according to tne oesb informed Parliamentarians, as it is around that city that the bulk ,()f the increased population is to bo found. In coming to aicir decision upon the amount of tlio quota, the Representation Commissioners had to make nominal additions to tlio country population, in accordance with the plan laid down in tne Legislature Act, and this proceeding operated in favour of the South Island rather than the North, because of its greater urban population. Now that the quota is known on suißciently good authority, it is interesting to compare it with the population of some of the biggest electorates in both islands:— NORTH ISLAND. Wellington Suburbs... 19,689 Eden ... ... 19,479 Taumarunui ... 19,215 Hawke’s Bay ... 18,695 , Waikato ... ... 17,820 Grey Lynn ... 17,083 Waitemata ... 16,179 Gisborne ... ... 15,798 Wanganui ... 15,656 Auckland West ... 15,214 Hutt 15;212. SOUTH ISLAND. Dunedin South ... 16,822 Avon ... ... 15,631 Christchurch North ... 15.225 Riccarton ... ... 15,171 All the scats enumerated above have a population in excess of the quota. The southern scats with fewest people are Tuapaka with 9501, Bruce with 9351, and Wakatipu, which has 10,477. NOTES. Tlio honour of moving thq Addross-in-Kt-ply in the House of Representarh'o«'. falls this session to Mr. W. T. Jennings, member for Taninaramii, b.it> m-gi'st constituency in the country in point of size. in tne Legislative Council the Ad-dress-in-Reply debate will lie opened by tiie Hon. J. R. Sinclair, of Dun-